Israel’s Isolation

Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t yet in power, but every sign already points toward conflict. His government consists of a hodge-podge of ideologies that don’t match up.

Prime Minister designate Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has yet to govern a single day and it’s already crippled. The patchwork coalition of Likud (“Our House Israel”), the ultra-Orthodox Shas Party, and the Labor party may be sufficient to put him in office, but how he intends to govern remains his secret. His government consists of a hodge-podge of ideologies that don’t match up.

Thus, Netanyahu has become a hostage of himself. He rejects the two-state solution, yet the Labor party has already promised its constituents a Palestinian state at Israel’s side. His Foreign Minister will be the onetime bouncer Avigdor Lieberman whose foreign policy credentials consist of hoping Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak goes to hell, threatening Iran with invasion and banishing disloyal Arab Israelis to Palestinian areas. Add to that the ultra-religious Shas who refuse to give up East Jerusalem as part of the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Like a corset

He won’t consider even discussing the question of Jewish settlements in the West Bank region. Netanyahu uses Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the ensuing rocket attacks by the radical group Hamas as justification for Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank to prevent Palestinians from threatening Israel’s international airport near Tel Aviv from there. Netanyahu’s government acts like a corset squeezing the life out of the peace process. His government has already capitulated to the parochial interests of its varied political parties.

Big-talking Netanyahu will govern with a policy of baby steps, leaving America’s visions for the region lying by the roadside. Netanyahu’s government is an allegory for political sellout. He enlisted Ehud Barak to his cause with the empty words that they would create a comprehensive peace plan with which even opponents of a Palestinian state could live comfortably.

The ultra-orthodox Shas will get 200 million Euros for religious families with many children as payment for joining Netanyahu’s coalition and Netanyahu has already promised Lieberman to expand Jewish settlements near Jerusalem. The United States won’t be able to do a thing with such a coalition other than try to manage the crises. Solutions will be out if the question.

Isolation looms

The Labor Party is supposed to be the savior of the right-wing coalition and prevent open confrontation with the United States. But the social democrats won’t be able to accomplish much as evidenced by the fact that the coalition agreement doesn’t even mention the two-state solution proposed by the community of states for the Near East. The ideal Israeli government would represent the political middle. It would maintain a position against blackmail by the Jewish settlers and would not allow their political parties a place in any coalition. Netanyahu’s government, on the other hand, represents stagnation and the status quo. Israel’s path to international isolation would be predestined.

Above all there’s the possibility of confrontation with Israel’s most important ally, the United States. In contrast to the half-hearted efforts by his predecessor, President Obama wants to pursue an aggressive policy of peace in the Middle East. He seeks a dialog with Iran and direct contact with Hamas is also not out of the question. But Netanyahu wants to end Hamas’ dominance in Gaza through force and possibly attack Iranian nuclear facilities as well.

Differing world views

The American and Israeli approaches are diametrically opposed. Obama represents vision and hope; in contrast, Netanyahu’s single vision amounts to nothing more than keeping his coalition in power and hampering the peace process as much as possible. In Natanyahu’s world vision, Israel will seal itself off from its neighbors behind high walls, protected from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the helpless Fatah in the West Bank.

Right now, Israel needs a government that would partner with the Palestinian side. The Israeli government must have an interest in bringing Fatah and Hamas together because Hamas isn’t going away. That was proven by the Gaza war that served only to strengthen Hamas. Israel won’t attain security and peace via another Gaza war and the continued occupation of the West Bank. It will with a strong partner on the Palestinian side, one given the power by its own people to make and implement peace treaties.

Netanyahu’s government will give Obama’s government its first litmus test. Obama shouldn’t only dare to hold dialogs with Israel’s enemies, he must also be allowed to disagree openly with Israel itself. If Netanyahu boycotts peace negotiations or continues to allow the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, and if international criticism isn’t effective in forcing change, then the new U.S. government shouldn’t hesitate to use sanctions to pressure Israel.